Guide to the James H. Doolittle Papers (1896 - 1993) 78 linear feet Accession Number: 21-95-14-93-3 Collection Number: CA21-95-14-93-3 Collection Dates: 1913 - 2007 Bulk Dates: 1925 - 1996 Prepared by ( Thomas J. Allen CITATION: The James H. Doolittle Papers, Box number, Folder number, HistOlY of Aviation Collection, Special Collections Department, McDermott Library, The University of Texas at Dallas. Special Collections Depaliment McDermott Library, The University of Texas at Dallas Contents Biographical Sketch: ........................................................................................................... 3 Sources: ............................................................................................................................... 4 Additional Sources: ............................................................................................................. 4 Series Description ............................................................................................................... 4 Scope and Content Note...................................................................................................... 7 Collection Note ................................................................................................................. 10 Provenance Statement ....................................................................................................... 10 Literary Rights Statement ................................................................................................. 10 Container list ..................................................................................................................... 10 \. 2 ( Biographical Sketch: th James H. Doolittle was born December 14 , 1896 in Alameda California. Spending time growing up in Alaska and Los Angeles, Doolittle became interested in flying when he attended the Los Angeles Aviation Meet in 1913. Doolittle pursued ftuiher education in engineering, as well as meeting Josephine Daniels (often called Jo), who he would marry in 1917. 1918 found Doolittle in the army and undergoing flight training at Rockwell Field near San Diego. Doolittle continued to set a number of speed records with his flying including winning the Schindel' Trophy Race in 1925. In 1929 Doolittle made his first major contribution to aviation by pioneering blind flight of aircraft. Flying a modified Consolidated NY-2 Trainer, Doolittle demonstrated that a plane could take off and land by instruments only, and winning the Guggenheim Prize. In 1929 Doolittle took a job flying for Shell Oil Company, while continuing to set speed records, including winning the 1932 Thompson Trophy in his Gee Bee 1 Racer. Events of the 1930s caused Doolittle to desire to go back on active duty with the U.S. Army. He was first put in charge of figuring out problems with B-26 Marauder. Then after Japan attacked the United States in 1941, and the US entered the war, Doolittle was put in charge of a special mission. He, along with 80 volunteers, learned to take off in an extremely short distance with a B-25 bomber. The bombers were then loaded onto the USS Hornet and in April of 1942 set off for Japan. The plan was to take offfrom the ( carrier, bomb Japan, and then land in China. However the fleet was detected and the decision was made to launch the attack 400 miles early. Because of this the planes were able to hit their targets in Japan, but were forced down short ofthe landing fields in China. Eventually Doolittle and his surviving men were found by friendly Chinese and returned to allied hands. For his part in the raid Doolittle received the Congressional Medal of Honor from President Franklin Roosevelt. After the raid Doolittle continued to serve the Army Air Corps in World War II including going on a morale raising tour of defense facilities, serving as the commander of the lih Air Force in NOlih Africa, the 8th Air Force in Europe, and finally being transfell'ed to the Pacific Theater for the End of World War II. In 1947 Doolittle threw a party for the surviving raiders, and this became the nucleus ofthe Doolittle Raider's Association and their yearly reunions. After the war Doolittle retired from the Army and took a job with Mutual of Omaha. He spent a lot of time touring the country giving speeches, and received numerous awards and honors. He also found time to pursue his passion for hunting, including going on Safari in Africa and completing several hunting feats. He also traveled, visiting both the Soviet Union and Antarctica. He remained active in politics, playing a maj or role in Barry Goldwater's 1964 Presidential Campaign. Doolittle continued his association with the men who participated in the raid, attending the reunions held by the Doolittle Raider's Association. He also continued to be asked questions about the raid, and his aviation experiences, and provided his expertise to 3 ( numerous articles, interviews, and television documentaries. In 1991 Doolittle collaborated with C.V. Glines on his autobiography I Could Never Be So LlIcky Again. th James H. Doolittle passed away on September 27 , 1993 at the age of96. Sources: James H. Doolittle Papers, Series I, Box 1, Folder 1, History of Aviation Collection, Special Collections Department, McDermott Library, The University of Texas at Dallas. Glines, C.V. 1980. Jimmy Doolittle: Master ofthe Calculated Risk. New York, NY: Van Nostrand Reinhold Co. Additional Sources: For more information about the Doolittle Raid, and Jimmy Doolittle consult the Doolittle Raider Association Papers. Additional information can be found in the books Doolittle's Tokyo Raiders, FOllr Came Home (Both by C.V. Glines), as well as I Could Nevel' Be So Lucky Again: The Autobiography ofJimmy Doolittle (By Jimmy Doolittle and C.V. Glines). ( Series Description The James H Doolittle Papers is arranged in fifteen series Series I: J.H. Doolittle Biogmphical Material. (1921 - 1996) 1 linear foot. 2 manuscript boxes. This series is arranged topically. It contains biographical information about James H. Doolittle. Series II: J.H. Doolittle Theses. (1922 - 1980) .S linear feet. I manuscript box. This series is arranged chronologically. It includes copies of papers produced by James H. Doolittle in the completion of his academic degrees. Series III: J.H. Doolittle Awards and Honors. (1960 -1984) 2.Slinear feet. 5 manuscript boxes. This series is atTanged topically. It is made up of information about awards presented to or presented by James H. Doolittle. Series IV: J.H. Doolittle Speeches. (1938 -1981) Slinear feet. 10 manuscript boxes. This series is arranged chronologically. It contains ( information about speeches made by James H. Doolittle. 4 Series V: Tributes. (1960 -1982) .5 linear feet. I manuscript box. This series is arranged alphabetically. It includes tributes made by James H. Doolittle about friends and colleagues. Series VI: Source Files. (1952 - 1985) 2 linear feet. 4 manuscript boxes. This series is arranged into four subseries. Each subseries focuses on a specific topic. Subseries I: Aviation. (1952 -1975) .5 linear feet. I manuscript box. This subseries is arranged topically. It is made up of information about aviation topics. Sub-series II: Locations. (1965 -1975) .5 linear feet I manuscript box. This subseries is arranged topically. It contains information about various geographical locations. Sub-series III: The Cold War/Soviets. (1959 -1985) .5 linear feet. ( 1 manuscript box. This subseries is arranged topically. It includes infOlmation about the Cold War and the Soviet military. Sub-series IV: Miscellaneous Topics. (1959 -1973) 1 linear foot. 2 manuscript boxes. This subseries is all'anged topically. It is made up of material about topics of personal interest to James H. Doolittle. Series VII: J.H. Doolittle News and Magazine Clippings. (1938 -1993) 1.5linear feet 3 manuscript boxes. This series is 81l'anged chronologically. It includes newspaper and magazine articles about James H. Doolittle. Series VIII: Subject Files. (1920 -1989) 10.5 linear feet. 21 manuscript boxes. This series is all'anged alphabetically by subject. It contains information on assOlied topics collected by James H. Doolittle. Series IX: Correspondence. (1938 - 1988) 34 linear feet. 64 manuscript boxes. This series is 81l'anged alphabetically by correspondent's ( last name. It is made up of cOll'espondence to and from James H. Doolittle. 5 ( Series X: United States Air Force (USAF). (1945 - 1988) 2.5 linear feet. 5 manuscript boxes. This series is arranged topically. It contains information about the United States Air Force. Series XI: Condolences. (1989 - 1994) 2 linear feet. This series is divided into two sub-series. Sub-series I: Condolences - Josephine Doolittle. (1989) .5 linear feet. 1 manuscript box. This subseries is all'anged topically. It includes information about the death of James H. Doolittle's wife Josephine. Sub-series II: Condolences - J.H. Doolittle. (1993 - 1994) 1.5 linear feet. 3 manuscript boxes. This subseries is arranged topically. It is made up of information about the 1993 death of James H. Doolittle. Series XII: History of Aviation Collection Doolittle Endowment. (1994 -1995) 1 linear foot. ( 2 manuscript boxes. This series is atl'anged cln·onologically. It contains information about the History of Aviation Collection's effOlis to establish the James H. Doolittle Endowment. Series XIII: Photographic Material. (1903 -1993) 2.5 linear feet. 5 manuscript boxes. This series is all'anged topically. It includes photographs, slides,